January 25, 2026 - “Out of Egypt”
Because Herod the Great was seeking to kill Jesus, the Holy Family fled to Egypt and stayed there until Herod’s death. Matthew editorializes:
This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Matt 2:15, ESV).
The passage quoted is Hosea 11:1, but it is not a prophecy about the Messiah. Instead, it is a historical comment on what God has done in the past, followed by a warning of impending judgment because of the people’s sin.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. … They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me (Hos 11:1–2, 5).
But the prophetic word concludes with hope.
They shall go after the Lord; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord (Hos 11:10–11).
How then does Jesus “fulfill” (or, as I prefer, “fill full”) this prophecy?
Jesus is recapitulating the story of Israel. The people were sent away from the land for a time, and now Jesus is as well. But in this child, the great return from exile is happening. Because of him, the long-awaited New Exodus is unfolding in unexpected and new ways.
This recapitulation matters because Jesus doesn’t just retell Israel’s story—he invites us into it. If you feel lost, in exile, or spiritually distant from home, Jesus has experienced that too. He understands what it’s like to be a refugee, to wait for God’s timing, and to trust the Father when everything feels uncertain.
And because Jesus has successfully completed Israel’s journey—enduring exile and achieving the return—he can bring us home too. The New Exodus he inaugurates isn’t just about ancient Israel finally returning from Babylon. It’s about every person who feels lost, wandering, or distant from God finding their way home through him.
The child who fled to Egypt became the man who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). He perfectly embodied Israel’s story so that we could walk it with him—through wilderness and exile, yes, but always heading home.
January 6, 2026 - Epiphany
Every so often, we'll deviate from our consecutive reading pattern, and today is one of those days. Because it's Epiphany, we'll read Matthew 2 and recall the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles. I recently preached two sermons on Matthew 2, so I won’t repeat everything I said here. If you want to read them, the two sermons are below. Because of the church calendar and lectionary sequence, I preached them in reverse order, but either order should work. Have a blessed Epiphany!
I am always staggered by the sheer brutality of Herod and those who followed his orders to kill the male children two years old and younger! Oh how the innocent suffer when a tyrant is in leadership. I find myself grieving for the children and babies and their parents. My gosh — can you imagine the rage, fear, and overwhelming grief at their inability to protect their babies?!